Christmas concert

The show began at about 3pm. It was a sell-out crowd and there was a long line to get in.

The audience was rapt.

I only took videos (?!) of the show, but here are the performers during a later performance. It was a smash hit!

Christmas at McDowell

It was uncharacteristically warm, so we slipped on our fleeces and went to the forest preserve before lunch.

Christmas morning at our house

Long before dawn I awoke, alone

Made some coffee, got some work done, waited, waited, waited for the children to get up. 

John popped up around 6:15:

 The twins closer to 7. 

Some twins more "up" than others

We had breakfast before anything else. Hungry family! 

And Julia lined us up for a selfie 

before finally, finally

Christmas could begin

Christmas Eve at Whalon Lake

We saw two bald eagles soaring overhead. 

And then threw rocks in the river.

Mystery of the cookies, resolved

What happened to my Christmas cookies?!

Another wild Friday night

Tree champions

Enjoying the show with the children

All dressed up

Turkey Trot 2019

Ponytail

Books books books

Power outage

Joe makes coffee by candlelight

John reads by the strongest halogen bulb he can find.

Arts and music

Choir, band, orchestra, and speech and drama

All in the last 10 days